Cup holder assembly with integrated nightlight

ABSTRACT

A cup holder assembly includes a body, a base portion extending outwardly from the body, and a cup retainer extending outwardly from the body above the base portion. A motion sensor is attached to the body above the cup retainer. A nightlight is integrated into the cup retainer and configured to be illuminated when the motion sensor is activated.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICTION

The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patentapplication 63/211,012, filed on Jun. 16, 2022, which is incorporatedherein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The invention relates to cup holders with motion sensors that activate alight on the holder.

Description of the Related Art

Some people often sleep with a glass of water on a nightstand next totheir bed in the event that they wake in the middle of the night and arethirsty. The proximity of the glass means that they do not have to getout of bed to quench their thirst. However, in the darkness of night, itis difficult, if not impossible, to be able to see the glass to pick itup, which can result in the glass being knocked over when the personreaches for it.

It would be beneficial to provide a cup holder for holding a cup near abedside that lights up when a hand is waved near the holder.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in asimplified form that are further described below in the DetailedDescription. This Summary is not intended to identify key features oressential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended tobe used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

In one embodiment, the present invention is a cup holder assemblyincluding a body, a base portion extending outwardly from the body, anda cup retainer extending outwardly from the body above the base portion.A motion sensor is attached to the body above the cup retainer. Anightlight is integrated into the cup retainer and configured to beilluminated when the motion sensor is activated.

In an alternative embodiment, the present invention provides a cupholder assembly comprising a body, a cup holder attached to the body, alight attached to the body, and a motion sensor attached to the body,wherein activation of the motion sensor illuminates the light.

In another embodiment, the present invention provides a cup holderassembly comprising a body, a planar base portion extending outwardlyfrom the body, a cup retainer ring extending outwardly from the bodysuch that the base portion is below the cup retainer ring, and anightlight extending around the cup retainer ring. A motion sensor isattached to the body and is configured to activate the night light. Apower supply is mounted in the body, wherein the nightlight iselectrically connected to the power supply. A processor mounted in thebody, wherein the power supply, the motion sensor, and the light areoperatively connected to the processor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and constitutepart of this specification, illustrate the presently preferredembodiments of the invention, and, together with the general descriptiongiven above and the detailed description given below, serve to explainthe features of the invention. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cup holder assembly with an integratednightlight according to an exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 1A is an exemplary electrical schematic drawing for the cup holderof FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 1B is an exemplary schematic view of the sensor used in theschematic drawing of FIG. 1A

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the cup holder of FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the cup holder of FIG. 1 ; and

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the cup holder of FIG. 1 .

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the drawings, like numerals indicate like elements throughout.Certain terminology is used herein for convenience only and is not to betaken as a limitation on the present invention. The terminology includesthe words specifically mentioned, derivatives thereof and words ofsimilar import. The embodiments illustrated below are not intended to beexhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed.These embodiments are chosen and described to best explain the principleof the invention and its application and practical use and to enableothers skilled in the art to best utilize the invention.

Reference herein to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that aparticular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connectionwith the embodiment can be included in at least one embodiment of theinvention. The appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” in variousplaces in the specification are not necessarily all referring to thesame embodiment, nor are separate or alternative embodiments necessarilymutually exclusive of other embodiments. The same applies to the term“implementation.”

As used in this application, the word “exemplary” is used herein to meanserving as an example, instance, or illustration. Any aspect or designdescribed herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed aspreferred or advantageous over other aspects or designs. Rather, use ofthe word exemplary is intended to present concepts in a concretefashion.

The word “about” is used herein to include a value of +/−10 percent ofthe numerical value modified by the word “about” and the word“generally” is used herein to mean “without regard to particulars orexceptions.”

Additionally, the term “or” is intended to mean an inclusive “or” ratherthan an exclusive “or”. That is, unless specified otherwise, or clearfrom context, “X employs A or B” is intended to mean any of the naturalinclusive permutations. That is, if X employs A; X employs B; or Xemploys both A and B, then “X employs A or B” is satisfied under any ofthe foregoing instances. In addition, the articles “a” and “an” as usedin this application and the appended claims should generally beconstrued to mean “one or more” unless specified otherwise or clear fromcontext to be directed to a singular form.

Unless explicitly stated otherwise, each numerical value and rangeshould be interpreted as being approximate as if the word “about” or“approximately” preceded the value of the value or range.

The use of figure numbers and/or figure reference labels in the claimsis intended to identify one or more possible embodiments of the claimedsubject matter in order to facilitate the interpretation of the claims.Such use is not to be construed as necessarily limiting the scope ofthose claims to the embodiments shown in the corresponding figures.

It should be understood that the steps of the exemplary methods setforth herein are not necessarily required to be performed in the orderdescribed, and the order of the steps of such methods should beunderstood to be merely exemplary. Likewise, additional steps may beincluded in such methods, and certain steps may be omitted or combined,in methods consistent with various embodiments of the present invention.

Although the elements in the following method claims, if any, arerecited in a particular sequence with corresponding labeling, unless theclaim recitations otherwise imply a particular sequence for implementingsome or all of those elements, those elements are not necessarilyintended to be limited to being implemented in that particular sequence.

As shown in FIGS. 1-4 , the present invention provides a cup holderassembly (“assembly 100”) with an integrated nightlight 150 that isactivated by a motion sensor 180. Referring specifically to FIG. 1 ,assembly 100 includes a main body 102 that attaches to a verticalsurface, such as a wall, a nightstand or other feature proximate to abed that has a generally vertical surface. Body 102 includes a rearsurface 104 and a front surface 106, opposed from rear surface 104, aswell as a top surface 108 and a bottom surface 110.

Body 102 also includes the power and control logic to operate nightlight150 and motion sensor 180. Referring to FIG. 1A, electrical power isprovided by a power source, such as a battery 112, that is housed withinbody 102. Battery 112 can be a replaceable battery or a rechargeablebattery. If battery 112 is a rechargeable battery, battery 112 can besolar recharged, or electrically recharged via a charging connection,such as a USB port. In an exemplary embodiment, battery 112 can be 2 AADC batteries, although those skilled in the art will recognize thatbattery can be other sizes and numbers of batteries as well.

A processor 114 is operatively connected to battery 112, nightlight 150,and motion sensor 180 to power nightlight 150 when motion is detected bymotion sensor 180. In an exemplary embodiment, processor 114 canilluminate nightlight 150 in operation for approximately 30 seconds,although those skilled in the art will recognize that nightlight 150 canilluminate nightlight 150 for more or less than 30 seconds. FIG. 1Ashows an exemplary electrical schematic drawing used to illuminatenightlight 150 upon activation of motion sensor 180, while FIG. 1B showsthat motion sensor 180 can have a beam angle of about 60 degrees and candetect motion as far as three feet away, although those skilled in theart will recognize that motion sensor 180 can have other operationalparameters as well.

Rear surface 104 can include an attachment means (not shown), such as,for example, an adhesive, a hook and loop fastener, a screw hole orother suitable means to securely, but removably, attach assembly 100 tothe feature.

Assembly 100 also includes a planar base portion 116 that extendsoutwardly from front surface 106 proximate to bottom surface 110 of body102. Base portion 116 is sized to vertically support a cup (not shown)that is held by assembly 100.

A cup retainer 120 extends outwardly from front surface 106 of body 110.Cup retainer 120 is sized to allow the cup to be inserted therethroughfrom the top of cup retainer 120 and lowered onto base portion 116.While base portion vertically supports the cup, cup retainer 120laterally supports the cup to prevent the cup from falling off baseportion 116. Nightlight 150 is housed within cup retainer 120 as will bedescribed in more detail herein.

As shown in FIG. 3 , cup retainer 120 is a generally closed circularshape. Those skilled in the art, however, will recognize that cupretainer 120 can be two separate curved or arcuate arms with an openspace between free ends of the arms that encompass over 180 degreesaround the perimeter of the cup. Alternatively, the arms can be linearsegments that extend around a portion of the cup sufficiently to retainthe cup onto base portion 116.

Motion sensor 180 is mounted below base portion in front surface 106.Motion sensor 180 is configured to sense motion in front of sensor 180and below the cup such that the sensing transmits an electronic signalto the processor 114 to illuminate nightlight 150.

Nightlight 150 can be an LED embedded in a fiber optic line that isoperatively connected to battery 112 and processor 114 such that, whenprocessor 114 receives a signal from motion detector 180, processor 114transmits a signal to nightlight 150 such that nightlight 150 isilluminated. Nightlight 150 can stay illuminated for about 30 seconds,or whatever time period is determined by processor 114. Nightlight 150can be a flexible tube that is generally encased within cup retainer 120and extends from front surface 106 of body 102, through cup retainer120, and terminates at or proximate to front surface 106 of body 102.

Cup retainer 120 includes a plurality of exterior openings 122 thatallow light from nightlight 150 to shine outwardly from cup retainer120. Retainer clips 124 are spaced between adjacent openings 122 toretain nightlight 150 within cup retainer 120. Optionally, interioropenings 126 can be formed opposite retainer clips 124 to allow lightfrom nightlight 150 to shine inwardly, toward the cup.

Optionally, a secondary light (not shown) can be located in bottomsurface 110 and triggered by the same motion as nightlight 150. Thesecondary light can be used to illuminate and area below assembly 100and the cup to enable a user to see what is on the floor area below thecup.

A screw hole 160 is provided to secure assembly 100 to a wall or otherstructure. Alternatively, an adhesive can be provided on the rearsurface 104 of body 102 to secure assembly 100 to the wall or otherrigid structure.

In an exemplary embodiment, body 102, base portion 116 and cup retainer120 can be constructed from a rigid polymer, such as Acrylonitrilebutadiene styrene (ABS) plastic, although those skilled in the art willrecognize that these components can be constructed from other materialsas well.

To use assembly 100, assembly 100 is mounted vertically onto a supportfeature. A cup (not shown) is inserted through cup retainer 120 andlowered on to base portion 116. When a user waves his/her hand in frontof motion sensor 180, nightlight 150 (and the optional secondary light)is illuminated so that the user can see the cup in assembly 100.

It will be further understood that various changes in the details,materials, and arrangements of the parts which have been described andillustrated in order to explain the nature of this invention may be madeby those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of theinvention as expressed in the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A cup holder assembly comprising: a body; a baseportion extending outwardly from the body; a cup retainer extendingoutwardly from the body above the base portion; a motion sensor attachedto the body above the cup retainer; and a nightlight integrated into thecup retainer and configured to be illuminated when the motion sensor isactivated.
 2. The cup holder assembly according to claim 1, wherein themotion sensor is below the base.
 3. The cup holder assembly according toclaim 1, wherein the motion sensor has a beam angle of about 60 degrees.4. The cup holder assembly according to claim 1, wherein the motionsensor has a range of about three feet.
 5. The cup holder assemblyaccording to claim 1, wherein the cup retainer comprises a ring.
 6. Thecup holder assembly according to claim 1, wherein the nightlightcomprises a plurality of lights.
 7. The cup holder assembly according toclaim 6, wherein each of the plurality of lights is located 90 degreesaround the cup retainer from an adjacent of the plurality of lights. 8.The cup holder according to claim 1, wherein the nightlight isconfigured to shine outwardly of the cup retainer.
 9. The cup holderaccording to claim 1, wherein the nightlight is configured to shineinwardly of the cup retainer.
 10. The cup holder assembly according toclaim 1, wherein the body comprises a front surface, wherein the bodyand the cup retainer extend outwardly from the front surface.
 11. Thecup holder assembly according to claim 10, wherein the nightlightcomprises a flexible tube encased within the cup retainer and extendsfrom the front surface of the body, through the cup retainer, andterminates at or proximate to the front surface of the body.
 12. The cupholder assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a power supplymounted in the body, wherein the nightlight is electrically connected tothe power supply.
 13. The cup holder assembly according to claim 1,further comprising a processor mounted in the body, wherein the motionsensor and the light are operatively connected to the processor.
 14. Acup holder assembly comprising: a body; a cup holder attached to thebody; a light attached to the body; and a motion sensor attached to thebody, wherein activation of the motion sensor illuminates the light. 15.The cup holder assembly according to claim 14, wherein the light isdirectly attached to the cup holder.
 16. The cup holder assemblyaccording to claim 14, wherein the cup holder comprises a ring and abase portion located below the ring.
 17. The cup holder assemblyaccording to claim 16, wherein the light is mounted in the ring.
 18. Thecup holder assembly according to claim 17, herein the light isconfigured to shine outwardly of the ring and inwardly of the ring. 19.The cup holder assembly according to claim 14, further comprising aprocessor mounted in the body, wherein the motion sensor and the lightare operatively connected to the processor.
 20. A cup holder assemblycomprising: a body; a planar base portion extending outwardly from thebody; a cup retainer ring extending outwardly from the body such thatthe base portion is below the cup retainer ring; a nightlight extendingaround the cup retainer ring; a motion sensor attached to the body, themotion sensor configured to activate the night light; a power supplymounted in the body, wherein the nightlight is electrically connected tothe power supply; and a processor mounted in the body, wherein the powersupply, the motion sensor, and the light are operatively connected tothe processor.